grim imprisonment. Nor will you learn that light has come to you,
and your escape has been accomplished. For you will not see the
light until you offer it to all your brothers. As they take it from your
hands, so will you recognize it as your own.
Salvation can be thought of as a game that happy children play.
It was designed by One Who loves His children, and Who would
replace their fearful toys with joyous games which teach them that
the game of fear is gone. His game instructs in happiness because
there is no loser. Everyone who plays must win, and in his winning is
the gain to everyone ensured. The game of fear is gladly laid aside
when children come to see the benefits salvation brings.
You who have played that you are lost to hope, abandoned by
your Father, left alone in terror in a fearful world made mad by sin
and guilt, be happy now. That game is over. Now a quiet time has
come in which we put away the toys of guilt, and lock our quaint
and childish thoughts of sin forever from the pure and holy minds of
Heaven’s children and the Son of God. We pause but for a moment
more, to play our final happy game upon this earth. And then we go
to take our rightful place where truth abides and games are
meaningless.
So is the story ended. Let this day bring the last chapter closer to
the world, that everyone may learn the tales he reads of terrifying
destiny, defeat of all his hopes, his pitiful defense against a vengeance
he can not escape, was but his own deluded fantasy. God’s ministers
have come to waken him from the dark dreams this story has evoked
in his confused, bewildered memory of this distorted tale. God’s Son
can smile at last, on learning that it is not true.
Today we practice in a form we will maintain for quite a while.
We will begin each day by giving our attention to the daily thought
as long as possible. Five minutes now becomes the least we give to
preparation for a day in which salvation is the only goal we have.Ten
would be better; fifteen better still. And as distraction ceases to arise
to turn us from our purpose, we will find that half an hour is too
short a time to spend with God. Nor will we willingly give less at
night in gratitude and joy.
Each hour adds to our increasing peace, as we remember to be
faithful to the Will we share with God. At times, perhaps, a minute,
PART I